Comptroller Says Office Ready For 2000

State Workers Solve Computer Glitch

August 05, 1998|By MATTHEW DALY; Courant Staff Writer

When the state comptroller's office first began looking at a computer glitch that threatened to disrupt payments to state employees and retirees as of Jan. 1, 2000, a consultant told the agency the problem could cost as much as $6 million to fix.

That was in 1996. Two years later, the so-called millennium bug is nearly cured -- at a cost of only $750,000.

Why the difference in price?

The answer is simple, says Comptroller Nancy S. Wyman: State employees did the work themselves, rather than rely on outside help as the consultant had recommended.

The success of the project not only demonstrates the ability of the state's computer specialists, Wyman said, it also calls into question why the state should spend an estimated $1 billion to turn over most of its computer operations to a private vendor.

``I'm proud that we had the vision to attack the problem early and to use our own expertise to save taxpayer money instead of shelling it out to consultants,'' Wyman said Tuesday at a press conference at her office. ``We knew we had the expertise and we didn't assume our people could not do the job. We assumed our employees could do the job and they did the job.''

Her employees were so successful, Wyman added, that ``I believe that we need to rethink whether the state should spend $1 billion of taxpayers' money on an untested vendor motivated by profit.''

Gregg ``Rock'' Regan, commissioner of the Department of Information Technology, praised the comptroller's office for getting an early jump on the year 2000 problem, but said Wyman was mistaken in claiming that success in the case is evidence that the overall privatization plan should be scrapped.

``I would say that's too big a jump to make,'' Regan said.

A preferred bidder for the privatization plan, a major initiative of Republican Gov. John G. Rowland, is expected to be chosen this month. If approved by the legislature, the contract would be the largest in state history.

Wyman, a Democrat, is a longtime opponent of the privatization plan, and her comments seemed timed to throw a wrench into the project. As more than three dozen state workers and union officials looked on, Wyman said her office had fully converted two of its three major computer systems to account for the year 2000. The third system, which handles the payroll for all state employees, should be compliant early next year, Wyman said.

Wyman contrasted the success of her office to the effort of the Rowland administration, which said Tuesday it has completed little more than one-third of the conversions necessary to make computers in the much larger executive branch functional in 2000.

Regan, whose office oversees all executive-branch computers, said that despite getting a relatively late start, the state is making good progress on ensuring that its computers are year 2000 compliant.

Wyman said Rowland failed to recognize the seriousness of the year 2000 problem until it was too late but Regan disagreed.

``I think the governor had enough focus to create an agency to be responsible for'' overall computer operations, including the year 2000 problem, Regan said, referring to the information technology department, which was created last year. ``The fact that took place speaks for itself. I think the governor thinks it's important.''

Peter Sullivan, director of the state's Year 2000 office, said about 35 percent of the conversion effort has been completed so far. Some agencies have nearly completed the work while others are further behind, Sullivan said; all ``important operations'' should be completed well before the end of 1999, he said.

The legislature has allocated $95 million for the problem, including $80 million, which was approved in April, from the state's budget surplus. About $70 million has been spent so far, Sullivan said.